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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27997545">Free horses (cost a few drops of blood)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/imbxdateverything/pseuds/imbxdateverything'>imbxdateverything</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Crusades, Graphic Description, Hurt Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, Mutual Pining, Swordfighting, Temporary Character Death, Worried Joe | Yusuf Al-Kayasani, author still doesn't know how to tag, but they don't know it yet, i tagged the ship but not yet you feel me, the bad guys are assholes so their deaths are a-okay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:48:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,166</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27997545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/imbxdateverything/pseuds/imbxdateverything</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Being in the desert with your sworn enemy is bad. Being in the desert with your sworn enemy and a group of bandits is worse. Beginning to like having your sworn enemy around may be the worst of all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>134</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Free horses (cost a few drops of blood)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so,,,,,,,,, tog and namely joe and nicky have taken over my life and I could NOT rest until i wrote a fic! also it's in crusades era bc why not honestly</p><p>WARNING NOTE: rating is for description of injury and mention of blood</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>They had been travelling through the desert for almost a week already on their goal of reaching Cairo.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Their trek was long and hard, especially with the unrelenting sun beating down on them and so Nicoló and Yusuf took as many resting stops as were safe.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>In those rests, the two men had begun teaching their language to the other since, as they realised, they didn't have a common tongue. Yusuf had Arabic and Greek whereas Nicoló had Italian and Latin, making conversation even more difficult than it was.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The two of them had reached a truce of sorts and had stopped killing each other for just about two weeks. Still, neither was very fond of their situation and the gift -or curse- that bound them together.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nevertheless, Yusuf had begrudgingly come to understand that it would be better for the two of them to travel together, lest they get found out, and had convinced the Frank -who was actually not a Frank but an Italian as Yusuf had discovered one night- to join him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>That night, not unlike any other they deemed safe enough to rest, was spent with Nicoló preparing a fire as Yusuf fished some dried meat out of his pouch that they had picked up at the previous town.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Throwing a piece to the man opposite him, Yusuf chewed his own as his mind drifted off anywhere from supplies they needed to when they had become a </span><span><em>they</em></span><span>.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Deep in thought, Yusuf was startled when he heard the neighing of horses and by the fact that Nicoló had only just picked his sword up from where it laid by his side, he also noticed them for the first time then.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Both men jumped to their feet with their respective weapons in hand as they knew what a late night visitor could mean and especially a </span><span><em>group</em></span><span> of them.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló also moved further from the fire and covered his nose and mouth with a cloth as to not be seen, or at least dwelled upon, by their </span><span><em>guests</em></span><span>.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Thankfully, his cross-covered clothes and armour had already been rid of for a deep green coloured tunic.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>When the riders had finally reached them, Yusuf and Nicoló could see there were five of them, all covered in dark cloaks that were wrapped around their lower faces.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf was certain these men would be trouble.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"Peace, fellow travellers." The man in the front brought his arm up and called out in an Arabic dialect that Yusuf had heard before while trading goods with his father. He remembers asking his father to teach him it and at that moment he was more glad than ever.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The pang of sorrow in his chest as he thought back to his family, even momentarily, was pushed deep inside his heart as something to be dealt with later.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló, on the other hand, had just begun picking up a few words in Arabic and the man was speaking so differently from his unlikely companion that he couldn't even begin to hope to understand him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>One thing was clear enough to him, though. The strangers could mean trouble.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"Hello." Yusuf greeted them back as he really would like to avoid battle if possible and visibly loosened his grip on his scimitar by a notch.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"We are lucky to have found you, my friends." The stranger said </span><span>with a grin that revealed his yellow teeth.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"We saw your fire and wondered if you had any food to spare for us as all of our bags were taken by bandits." He finished.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>It was fair to say that Yusuf was doubtful of the man's words but he didn't let it show.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló looked on at the conversation happening in front of him in a tongue he couldn't speak and tried to stay as far away from the strangers' periphery as possible.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He knew </span><span><em>very </em></span><span>well what some people would do if they saw his pale skin and bright eyes.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Besides, he didn't blame them.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He was brought out of his self-blaming thoughts by Yusuf saying something in the language he didn't know but in a tone he knew </span><span><em>too </em></span><span>well. </span><br/>
<br/>
<span>After all, he was the receiver of that tone much too recently.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>In an instant, he heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath and brought his own up on instinct.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Several followed and amongst them, the horses could be heard neighing as they were suddenly moved.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf had taken a position which meant he was ready for the fight ahead of him. His scimitar looking up in the sky.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He didn't wait until the man who was nearest to him dismounted before Yusuf striked.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The man fell off his horse with a cry as his leg was severed by the force of Yusuf's blade and was left there to bleed out as his companions landed on the soft sand and started advancing towards the duo.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The leader went straight to Yusuf and another man followed suit.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Just when Nicoló had thought that maybe he had, indeed, disappeared, the remaining two men approached him with their swords and knives in hand and he also changed his footing to have more balance.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The first move was made by the man next to the leader of the group as he thrust forward, causing all hell to break loose.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf was already well versed in a fight after having killed -and been killed by- Nicoló and the move he made to avoid the blade was more of an reflex than it was a conscious thought.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló, who had been training for years for the sword he held in his hands, successfully avoided a slash made at him by one of the men and he brought his own weapon down to strike him. </span><br/>
<br/>
<span>His sword landed in the meat of the man's shoulder and stopped at his collarbone, effectively getting stuck as the man sagged toward the earth in his death.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>As he pulled at his sword to free it from where it had gotten stuck, his other rival took the opportunity to slice at him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló turned a heartbeat too late and the sword cut his left cheek, taking with it his cover and exposing his face.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The man stood still for a moment as he realised that Nicoló was one of </span><span><em>them</em></span><span>. </span><br/>
<br/>
<span>One of the dirty Franks that attacked their homes and tortured and killed their families.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>His pause had Nicoló pull the blade back from the dead man's shoulder and up into the air, once again in ready position.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With newfound vigour, the man yelled as he started almost carelessly slashing and slicing at Nicoló's direction.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>An angry man with a scimitar aiming to kill him was not something Nicoló hadn't experienced before but the force with which the man attacked him had Nicoló stepping back to avoid it.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf closed the distance between his enemy and him, then he pulled a small knife he had concealed in his belt and stabbed the man in the stomach.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The leader, then, sliced downwards and managed to make a cut along Yusuf forearm and, more importantly, the new tunic he had bought and was wearing.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With a huff of annoyance, Yusuf slid his knife out of the man and let him drop to the sand before going after his remaining rival.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló, in the meantime, leaned backwards to avoid yet another strike from the man. Unfortunately, as he wasn't familiar with such terrain, Nicoló stepped out too far and fell with his back in the sand, his sword getting knocked out of his hand.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Realising his </span><span><em>truly </em></span><span>unique opportunity, the other man cried out in his language as he fell onto Nicoló's lying form with his scimitar pointed at his chest.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló felt precisely when the blade pierced him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He could feel it being buried further and further in between his ribs as the man above him let all of his rage be transferred to his weapon until Nicoló felt it go out through his back and into the ground.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló would think back to this moment in the next years and he would rack his brain trying to understand how he was able to kill the man right before he, himself, died.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Lightning fast, Nicoló grasped his longsword and cut the man's head almost clean off.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With a final wheezing breath and </span><span>his enemy's blade still inside him</span><span>, Nicoló died with the hope that Yusuf would be victorious.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>-</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf was more irritated than angry as the man in front of him made yet another cut in his, once pristine, bright blue tunic. He forcefully exhaled as he awaited his foe to make a move.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Thankfully, Yusuf didn't have to wait long as the man came at him with his sword pointing straight.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With just as much force, Yusuf thrust his scimitar at the man's quickly approaching form. He felt the blade cut into his side at the same time he felt his own blade sink into the man's chest and into his heart.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf winced at his rapidly closing wound that was agitated by him removing his blade from the, now, dead man in front of him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>After a minute, the wound had healed completely and he let out a sigh mere seconds before he heard a sharp inhale.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf knew immediately what that signified.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span><em>Nicoló</em></span><span>.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf dropped his scimitar on the sand as he rushed towards his companion.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He fell to his knees once there and shoved the stranger's body off the man he unexpectedly came to care for.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló was taking faint gasping breaths and his eyes were full of panic. His hands shot up in his state of fear to grasp uselessly at the sword in him but, ultimately, failed due to his waning strength as he died once again.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf watched in horror as blood spilled from Nicoló's mouth with every pain filled exhale before his eyes became empty with death. </span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He couldn't bring himself to touch Nicoló. At that moment, he wasn't sure why.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>It certainly wasn't because of the coldness the man's skin would already have and it surely wasn't the fact that he </span><span><em>was </em></span><span>dead since he had already killed him countless times himself.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Some time later, Yusuf would remember the fierce burning in his heart as he watched Nicoló die that night and he would, finally, be able to name it for what it was. </span><br/>
<br/>
<span><em>Anger</em></span><span>.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Anger that someone would have the audacity to kill the man he grew to love more than life itself.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf was brought out of his stupor by Nicoló's gasp as life returned to him once more and as Yusuf looked into his wide, full of fear eyes, he made up his mind.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"</span><span><em>Perdonami</em></span><span>." He whispered as he put his hands on the sword's hilt.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With two deep breaths, Yusuf yanked at the sword and winced in sympathy at the resulting cry that came from Nicoló.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Despite him putting all of the strength he had, the blade didn't move any more than a couple of inches.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló started then to whimper continuously as his body was fighting to heal his wound quickly as to not let him die yet again. </span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"Yus-" Nicoló tried to grunt out but his breath caught in his throat.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Trying -and failing- to ignore Nicoló's pained moans, Yusuf's determination made him readjust his grip on the blade and tug at the protruding object, managing to pull it a bit more than before.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló felt the blade's point going back in through his back as his companion struggled to remove it and let his head fall back to the ground with a scream that turned into a whine. He flexed his fingers towards Yusuf's kneeling frame, finding him to be a mere inch away from his grasp.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>For some unknown to him reason, Nicoló found that to make everything worse.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He could feel his back healing already and wondered briefly why he had yet to pass out or, as was more likely, die.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló was ripped out of his musings by a shout and the scimitar inside him moving again.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf screamed into the dark night air as he forcefully pulled once more and, finally, freed the blade from where it had been buried inside his companion's chest.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The agonised cry that was ripped out of Nicoló reverberated to the sand dunes around them and right into Yusuf's heart.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He flung the sword far away from them as if it could hurt Nicoló just by being in his vicinity and the stab wound in his chest began knitting itself back together right before Yusuf's eyes.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The groans of pain that Nicoló made started to lessen until they completely faded, leaving only heavy stuttering breaths behind to fill the night's silence.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf's deep inhales and exhales as he tried to calm his racing heart were the only sound competing against Nicoló's breathing.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The fire they had once gathered around for warmth was left forgotten to dim until only embers remained.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>-</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>After a time that neither Yusuf nor Nicoló could tell had passed, Nicoló made to push himself upright before falling onto his back again from the exhaustion of having to regenerate from such a wound and the consequent blood loss.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf hesitantly reached his hand out to take Nicoló's own and when no resistance came from the other man, Yusuf lifted him towards himself and up on his feet.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With Nicoló off the ground, the blood that he had spilled was more visible than before and Yusuf cringed when he saw the copious amount of red painted sand.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló didn't pay any attention to it, though, as the movement made him dizzy and had him unconsciously grasping Yusuf's still intact sleeve tightly to keep himself from collapsing.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf felt the extra pressure on his arm and surprised himself by putting his other hand below the man's elbow to steady him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>In a time that felt almost like a lifetime ago, he would have pushed Nicoló down on the ground himself before killing him just for looking at him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>At that moment, though, Yusuf found himself patiently waiting until Nicoló gave him a sign that he was able to stand on his own.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With a groan, Nicoló straightened himself on his legs and let go of Yusuf only to stumble when he tried to take a step.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"</span><span><em>Kun hadhiraan!</em></span><span>" Yusuf hissed and took hold of him once more before he could fall.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He looked around them for a moment before exclaiming in triumph and starting to walk with Nicoló's tired figure beside him.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Once Yusuf had reached the spot he had selected far away from the dead men and the pool of blood he </span><span><em>might</em></span><span> not want to see ever again, he put the Italian down on the ground with far more gentleness that he thought he would ever show to this man.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Apparently, Nicoló was also stunned by Yusuf's actions and he looked at him with a question written in his still frightened eyes.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Instead of answering the apparent puzzlement of his fellow man, Yusuf lifted his hand up to tell him to wait and Nicoló did, even though, he still wasn't sure of what was happening.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf then returned to where their camp used to be and the, now, dead fire was to pick up his and Nicoló's items.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He also took his scimitar and knive from where they lay, putting them on their respective sheaths in his belt and deciding to clean them later as at that moment there were more pressing matters.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Finally, with some reluctance, Yusuf went to collect Nicoló's longsword.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>It wasn't a reluctance of not wanting to do the man any favours, it was more of a reluctance to approach the still wet pool of blood where Nicoló had died. </span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The pool of blood which had doubled in size as Yusuf agonisingly slow tugged at the blade until pulling it free.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf didn't yet understand why that brought him such distress but he avoided looking at the blood as much as he could when he picked up Nicoló's sword.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>He sighed as he walked back to where he had positioned Nicoló and let the items he held fall onto the sand.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló had stopped wondering what Yusuf was doing the moment he reached their camp and after seeing him return with all of their things, Nicoló was sure of his intentions.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"</span><span><em>Grazie</em></span><span>." He said with a quiet and raw voice as Yusuf looked back to see if he had missed anything.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf gave him one of his smiles and nodded before going back, this time with the purpose of searching the dead bandits.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>His findings consisted of a few daggers and jewellery that he had no problem leaving behind but there were also waterskins which he took.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>After finding nothing else useful, Yusuf left the things he had gathered next to Nicoló, who was still seated and was following him with his eyes, and then he went towards their most notable earn, the horses.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf checked the saddle bags before going to see if the horses were harmed.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>One horse, the one he had dismembered the owner of, had a small cut just above its front leg and Yusuf whispered to it comforts as he ripped his already torn sleeve off to clean the wound as much as he could without anything more helpful.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The other horses were fine with the exception of being spooked from the commotion that took place.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Once Yusuf was done checking the horses, he went back to where Nicoló was waiting patiently for him with one of them in tow.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"Hurt?" Yusuf asked him while pointing at Nicoló's chest.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Nicoló breathed deeply before shaking his head, "I'm fine."</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf only nodded as he carefully loaded their belongings on the mare.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>With that task over with, Yusuf reached a hand out to Nicoló to help him stand.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>The Italian looked at his offered hand for a few moments before grabbing it with his own.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>As soon as he was lifted up, Nicoló felt the rush of dizziness wash over him once more from his prolonged sitting and heavy blood loss but managed to hide it from his companion as he went to try and calm the frightened horses.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>After a while of clicking and slowly moving towards one of them, Nicoló succeeded in reaching the, now, calm beast and he put his hand out to pet its mane.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Yusuf did the same with another horse and after they had calmed the remaining ones, the two of them went on tying them to each other's reins before mounting them.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"</span><span><em>Siete pronti?</em></span><span>" Yusuf asked with a wide grin.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>"</span><span><em>Jahiz.</em></span><span>" Nicoló replied with a smaller but no less significant smile.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>And thus, Nicoló and Yusuf -two unlikely companions tied to each other by destiny- continued on their journey.</span></p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>perdonami = forgive me (italian)</em>
  </span><br/>
<span>
    <em>kun hadhiraan = be careful (arabic)</em>
  </span><br/>
<span>
    <em>grazie = thank you (italian)</em>
  </span><br/>
<span>
    <em>siete pronti = are you ready (italian)</em>
  </span><br/>
<span>
    <em>jahiz = ready (arabic)</em>
  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>they be cheeky like that using each others tongue</p><p>hope you enjoyed this and if you find any mistakes tell me so I can go cry bc I reread this 15 times,,,,,</p><p>anyway thank you for being you and stay safe:))</p></blockquote></div></div>
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